Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
The People of the Book
كتاب أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ
Chapter 512
بَابُ إِذَا كَتَبَ الذِّمِّيُّ فَسَلَّمَ، يُرَدُّ عَلَيْهِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Uthman al-Nahdi said: Abu Musa wrote to some monks and included a greeting in his letter. He was asked, “Do you greet them when they are unbelievers?” He replied, “They wrote to me and greeted me, so I returned their greeting.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic says رُهْبَانٍ, “monks”; it does not identify them as Persian officials.
إِلَى رُهْبَانٍ
The Arabic says monks, not a Persian grandee.
Should the recipient be corrected to monks?
Chapter 513
بَابُ لا يَبْدَأُ أَهْلَ الذِّمَّةِ بِالسَّلامِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Basra al-Ghifari reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Tomorrow I am riding to the Jews. Do not be the first to offer them the greeting of peace. If they greet you, say, ‘And upon you.’”
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Do not be the first to offer the greeting of peace to the People of the Book, and make them take the narrowest part of the road.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The second clause is translated closely; it is an imperative concerning how the People of the Book are to be positioned on the road.
Chapter 514
بَابُ مَنْ سَلَّمَ عَلَى الذِّمِّيِّ إِشَارَةً
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Alqama said: Abdullah would offer only a gesture of greeting to the Persian landowners.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
الدَّهَاقِينِ refers to Persian landholders or local officials.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Anas said: A Jew passed by the Prophet ﷺ and said, “Death be upon you.” The Prophet’s Companions returned the greeting of peace. The Jew repeated, “Death be upon you,” and was seized and made to confess. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Return to him what he said.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic contrasts السَّامُ (“death”) with السَّلاَمَ (“peace”); the companions respond with the standard greeting before the Jew’s words are clarified.
فَقَالَ: السَّامُ عَلَيْكُمْ
The Arabic says al-sam (“death”), not al-salam (“peace”); the report hinges on the distinction.
Should the first utterance be rendered as “Death be upon you” rather than the greeting of peace?
Chapter 515
بَابُ: كَيْفَ الرَّدُّ عَلَى أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ؟
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abdullah ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When one of the Jews greets you, he is only saying, ‘Al-sam alaykum’—‘Death be upon you.’ So say, ‘And upon you.’”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report distinguishes the Jewish greeting al-sam (“death”) from al-salam (“peace”).
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibn Abbas said: Return the greeting to whoever offers it, whether Jew, Christian, or Magian. That is because Allah says: “When you are greeted with a greeting, respond with one better than it, or return it.” (Qur’an 4:86)
Chapter 516
بَابُ التَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى مَجْلِسٍ فِيهِ الْمُسْلِمُ وَالْمُشْرِكُ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Usama ibn Zayd reported that the Prophet ﷺ rode a donkey with a saddlecloth on a Fadakī velvet covering, and seated Usama ibn Zayd behind him. He was going to visit Sad ibn Ubada. He passed by a gathering that included Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, before Abdullah had become Muslim. The gathering contained a mixture of Muslims, polytheists, and idol worshippers. He greeted them.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic says the donkey had a saddle (إِكَافٌ) over a Fadakī velvet cloth.
وَذَلِكَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْلِمَ عَبْدُ اللهِ
The Arabic only says this was before Abdullah became Muslim; it does not call him “the enemy of Allah.”
Should the added epithet be removed?
Chapter 517
بَابُ: كَيْفَ يَكْتُبُ إِلَى أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ؟
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abdullah ibn Abbas reported that Abu Sufyan ibn Harb told him: Heraclius, the king of the Romans, sent for him. Then Heraclius called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that had been sent with Dihya al-Kalbi to the ruler of Busra. Heraclius handed it to me, and I read it. It said: “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the servant of Allah and His Messenger, to Heraclius, ruler of the Romans. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance. To proceed: I call you with the call of Islam. Submit and you will be safe; Allah will give you your reward twice over. If you turn away, then the sin of the Arisiyyin will be upon you. ‘O People of the Book, come to a common word between us and you’”—up to His words—“‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic says Heraclius sent for Abu Sufyan; it does not say Abu Sufyan was sent to Heraclius. The title Arisiyyin is retained because its precise referent is debated; it may refer to subjects or peasants.
أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ هِرَقْلُ
The Arabic says Heraclius sent for Abu Sufyan, not that Abu Sufyan was sent to Heraclius.
Should the direction of the summons be corrected?
تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ
The quoted passage is Qur’an 3:64, not 3:54.
Should the verse reference be corrected to 3:64?
Chapter 518
بَابُ إِذَا قَالَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ: السَّامُ عَلَيْكُمْ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Jabir reported: Some Jews greeted the Prophet ﷺ, saying, “Al-sam alaykum”—“Death be upon you.” He replied, “And upon you.” Aisha became angry and said, “Did you not hear what they said?” He replied, “Indeed, I heard them and answered them. We are answered concerning them, but they are not answered concerning us.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report contrasts the accepted response of the Muslims with the Jews’ hostile greeting; the final clause is translated closely.
Chapter 519
بَابُ يُضْطَرُّ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ فِي الطَّرِيقِ إِلَى أَضْيَقِهَا
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “When you meet the polytheists on the road, do not be the first to offer them the greeting of peace, and make them take its narrowest part.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
فَلاَ تَبْدَأُوهُمْ بِالسَّلاَمِ
The witness supplies only a cross-reference, while the Arabic contains the full report.
Should the full wording replace the cross-reference?
Chapter 520
بَابُ: كَيْفَ يَدْعُو لِلذِّمِّيِّ؟
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Uqba ibn Amir al-Juhani passed by a man whose appearance was that of a Muslim. The man greeted him, and Uqba replied, “And upon you be Allah’s mercy and blessings.” A young servant said to him, “He is a Christian.” Uqba stood, followed the man, and caught up with him. He said, “Allah’s mercy and blessings are for the believers, but may Allah prolong your life and increase your wealth and children.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The word الْغُلاَمُ means a boy or young servant; the Arabic does not by itself establish that he was enslaved.
فَقَالَ لَهُ الْغُلاَمُ
The Arabic says “the boy/young servant”; it does not specify enslaved status.
Should “slave” be softened to “boy” or “young servant”?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibn Abbas said: “If Pharaoh said to me, ‘May Allah bless you,’ I would say, ‘And you.’ But Pharaoh is dead.”
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Musa said: The Jews would deliberately sneeze in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ, hoping that he would say to them, “May Allah have mercy on you.” Instead, he would say, “May Allah guide you and set your affairs right.”
Chapter 521
بَابُ إِذَا سَلَّمَ عَلَى النَّصْرَانِيِّ وَلَمْ يَعْرِفْهُ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abd al-Rahman said: Ibn Umar passed by a Christian and greeted him. The man returned the greeting. Ibn Umar was told that he was a Christian. When he learned this, he went back to him and said, “Return my greeting to me.”
Chapter 522
بَابُ إِذَا قَالَ: فلانٌ يُقْرِئُكَ السّلامَ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Aisha reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to her, “Jibril sends you greetings.” She replied, “And peace be upon him, and the mercy of Allah.”